and laughter.) the arithmetical statements of Sir Peter; vested interests should be alarmed, and that and a better specimen of what in the Scotch great misapprehension should exist as to its language is called a stramash, it has never nature and merits. On this subject he inbeen our good fortune to meet with:- troduces an admirable illustration :-" In "We have been told by the worthy knight the early part of my life I remember attendwho introduced this motion, that to pave London ing a lecture-when gas was first introduced with wood would cost twenty-four millions of by Mr. Winson. The lecture was deliv. money. Now, it so happens that, some time ered in Pall-Mall, and the lecturer proposed since, I directed the city surveyor to obtain for to demonstrate that the introduction of gas me a return of the number of square yards of would be destructive of life and property. paving-stone there are throughout all the streets I attended that lecture, and I never came in this city. I hold that return in my hand; and I find there are 400,000 yards, which, at fifteen away from a public lecture more fully conshillings per yard, would not make the cost of vinced of any thing than I did that he had wood paving come to twenty-four millions of proved his position. He produced a quanmoney; no, gentlemen, nor to four millions, nor tity of gas, and placed a receiver on the tato three, nor even to one million-why, the cost, ble. He had with him some live birds, as gentlemen, dwindles down from Sir Peter's well as some live mice and rabbits; and, intwenty-four millions to £300,000 (hear, hear, troducing some gas into the receiver, he "If I go into Fore Street I find every body put one of the animals in it. In a few admiring the wood pavement. If I go on Corn- minutes life was extinct, and in this way he hill I find the same and all the great bankers deprived about half a dozen of these animals in Lombard Street say,' What a delightful thing of their life. Now, gentlemen,' said the this wood paving is! Sir Peter Laurie must be lecturer, 'I have proved to you that gas is mad to endeavor to deprive us of it.' I told them destructive to life; I will now show you that not to be alarmed, for they might depend on it the good sense of this court would not allow so it is destructive to property.' He had a little great and useful an improvement in street paving pasteboard house, and said, 'I will suppose to retrograde in the manner sought to be effect that it is lighted up with gas, and from the ed by this revolution. I shall content myself carelessness of the servant the stopcock of with moving the previous question"-(cheers.) the burner has been so turned off as to alIt is probable that Mr. Jones, in moving low an escape of gas, and that it has esthe previous question, contented himself a caped and filled the house.' Having let the mighty deal more than he did Sir Peter; gas into the card house, he introduced a Now,' said he, 'I and the triumph of the woodites was in light and blew it up. creased when Mr. Pewtress seconded the think I have shown you that it is not only destructive to life and property; but that, if it is introduced into the metropolis, it will be blown up by it."" amendment: "If there is any time of the year when the wood pavement is more dangerous than another, probably the most dangerous is when the weathWe have now given a short analysis of er is of the damp, muggy, and foggy character the speeches of the proposers and secondwhich has been prevailing; and when all pave-ers on each side in this great debate; and ments are remarkably slippery. The worthy after hearing Mr. Frodsham on the opposiknight has shown great tact in choosing his tion, and the Common Sergeant-whose obtime for bringing this matter before the public. jection, however, to wood was confined to We have had three or four weeks weather of its unsuitableness at some seasons for horsethe most extraordinary description I ever re-manship-granting that a strong feeling in member; not frosty nor wet, but damp and pery; so that the granite has been found so inconvenient to horses, that they have not been driven at the common and usual pace. And I am free to confess that, under the peculiar state of the atmosphere to which I have alluded, the wood pavement is more affected than the granite pavement. But in ordinary weather there is very little difference. I am satisfied that, if the danger and inconvenience were as great as the worthy knight has represented, we should have had applications against the pavement; but all the applications we have had on the subject have been in favor of the extension of wood pavement." The speaker then takes up the ground, that as wood, as a material for paving, is only recently introduced, it is natural that its favor existed among the owners and inhabitants of houses where it has been laid down; and on the other side, Sir Chapman Marshall-a strenuous woodite-who challenged Sir Peter Laurie to find fault with the pavement at Whitehall," which he had no hesitation in saying was the finest piece of paving of any description in London ;" Mr. King, who gave a home thrust to Sir Peter, which it was impossible to parry"We have heard a great deal about humanity and post-boys; does the worthy gentleman know, that the Postmaster has only within the last few weeks sent a petition here, begging that you would, with all possible speed, put wood paving round the Post-office?" and various other gentlemen pro and con-a division was taken, when Sir Peter was beaten by an immense majority. Another meeting, of which no public notice was given, was held shortly after to further Sir Peter's object, by sundry stablekeepers and jobmasters, under the presidency of the same Mr. Gray, whose horse had acquired the malicious habit of breaking its knees on the poultry. As there was no opposition, there was no debate; and as no names of the parties attending were published, it fell dead-born, although advertised two or three times in the newspapers. In the first place, the facility of cleansing will be greatly increased. A smooth sur face, between which and the subsoil is interposed a thick concrete-which grows as hard and impermeable as iron-will not generate mud and filth to one-fiftieth of the extent of either granite roads or Macadam. It is probable that if there were no impor tations of dirt from the wheels of carriages coming off the stone streets, little scavengering would be needed. Certainly not more than could be supplied by one of Whitworth's machines. And it is equally evident that if wood were kept unpolluted by the liquid mud-into which the surface of the other causeways is converted in the driest weather by water carts-the slipperiness would be effectually cured. On Tuesday, the 4th of April, Sir Peter buckled on his armor once more, and led the embattled cherubim to war, on the modified question, "That wood-paving operations be suspended in the city for a year;" but after In the second place, the saving of expense a repetition of the arguments on both sides, in cleansing and repairing would be prodihe was again defeated by the same over-gious, Let us take as our text a document whelming majority as before. submitted to the Marylebone Vestry in 1840, years having been, Gives a total for six years of £16,881 2,000 4,000 900 £23,781 "Or an annual expenditure averaging £3963; so that the future expenses of Oxford Street, maintained as a Macadamized carriage-way, would be about £4000, or 2s. 4d. per yard per annum. Such is the state of wood paving as a party question among the city authorities at the present date. The squabbles and struggles among the various projectors would form an amusing chapter in the history of street rows for it is seen that it is a noble prize to strive for. If the experiment succeed, all London will be paved with wood, and fortunes will be secured by the successful candidates for employment. Every day some fresh claimant starts up and professes to have remedied every defect hitherto discovered in the systems of his predecessors. Still confidence seems unshaken in the system which has hitherto shown the best results; and since the introduction of the very ingenious invention of Mr. Whitworth of Manchester, of a cart, which by an adaptation of wheels and pul. "In contrast with this extract from the parolies, and brooms and buckets, performs the chial documents, the results of which must have work of thirty-six street-sweepers, the per- years, the Metropolitan Wood-Paving Compabeen greatly increased within the last three fection of the work in Regent Street has years, the Metropolitan Wood-Paving Company, who have already laid down above 4000 been seen to such advantage, and the objec-yards in Oxford Street, between Wells Street tions of slipperiness so clearly proved to arise, not from the nature of wood, but from the want of cleansing, that even the most timid are beginning to believe that the opposition to the further introduction of it is injudicious. Among these even Sir Peter promises to enrol himself, if the public favor continue as strong towards it for another year as he perceives it to be at the present time. And now, dismissing these efforts at resisting a change which we may safely take to be at some period or other inevitable, let us cast a cursory glance at some of the results of the general introduction of wood pavement. and Charles Street, are understood to be willing to complete the entire street in the best manner for 12s. per square yard, or about £14,000-for rest at the rate of four-and-a-half per cent per anwhich they propose to take bonds bearing intenum, whereby the parish will obtain ample time for ultimate payment; and further, to keep the whole in repair, inclusive of the cost of cleansing and watering, for one year gratuitously, and for twelve years following at £1900 per annum, being less than one-half the present outlay for these purposes." Whether these were the terms finally agreed on we do not know; but we perceive by public tenders that the streets can be paved in the best possible manner for 13s. or 12s. 6d. a yard; and kept in repair for 6d. a yard additional. This is certainly test against the acts of injustice above referred to much cheaper than Macadam, and we should think more economical than causeways. And, besides, it has the advantage-which one of the speakers suggested to Sir Peter Laurie "that in case of an upset, it is far more satisfactory to contest the relative hardness of heads with a block of wood than a mass of granite." and expressing a hope that the French governstances of the case, would not confirm the acts of ment, when made acquainted with all the circum. its admiral in his unwarranted aggression upon Tahiti. We fear that this hope is ill grounded, and that, having obtained a footing upon the Ta deaf ear to any remonstrance which may be adhitian group, the French government will turn a dressed to it.-Bell's Weekly Messenger. CARDINAL WOLSEY'S CHAPEL AT WINDSOR. We can only add in conclusion, that ad- From the extensive nature of the repairs and imvertisements are published by the Commis-provements which are to be commenced in the insioners of Sewers for contracts to pave with wood Cheapside, and Bishopsgate Street, and Whitechapel. Oh, Sir Peter!-how are the mighty fallen! MISCELLANY. terior of St. George's Chapel immediately after edifice for a period, it is expected, of upwards of Easter, it will be necessary to close that sacred three weeks. Her Majesty has just been most graciously pleased to give permission, upon the application of the dean and canons of the Royal Chapel of St. George, for Cardinal Wolsey's Chapel to be used for the purpose of the performance of divine worship during the period which will be occupied by the workmen in the adjoining chapel. The last time public worship was celebrated in Wolsey's Chapel was in the reign of James II., (now upwards of 150 years ago,) who, upon his accession to the throne, in 1685, had this magnificent building converted into a chapel, where mass was performed with unusual pomp and splendor. Verrio (several of whose paintings still adorn the ceilings of many of the apartments at Windsor Castle,) was engaged by that monarch to execute a richly-emblazoned and ornamented ceiling; but this, including the superb stained windows and all the internal decorations, was shortly after. wards wholly destroyed by a mob, during a popu lar commotion, which was occasioned in conse quence of the sovereign having given a public entertainment at Windsor to the Nuncio of the Pope. It remained in the state in which it was thus left until the reign of George III., and that monarch having determined upon a royal cemetery being constructed underneath the building, an excavation to the depth of 15 feet was made in the chalk foundation, and of the length and width of the building. In the mausoleum are deposited the bodies of the following illustrious members of the FRENCH OCCUPATION OF TAHITI-A numerously attended meeting of the friends of Protestant missions was held on Wednesday at Exeter-hall, for the purpose of considering what course it would be most advisable to pursue in consequence of the recent aggressions of the French at the island of Tahiti. C. Hindley, Esq., M. P., was in the chair. The chairman gave a brief history of the progress of Protestant missionary exertions in Tahiti, from which it appeared that after laboring for many years without any apparent good resulting from their exertions, the missionaries were cheered by the change which began to manifest itself. The King (Pomare,) was the first who embraced the Gospel; from that moment down to the present time the progress of the truth among the natives has been of the most gratifying nature-every vestige of idolatry being swept away, and the inhabitants, almost universally, exhibiting in their peaceful and industrious habits the power and purity of the Gospel of Christ. In 1836, two Roman Catholic priests landed clandestinely on the island. The proceeding, being contrary to the law, they were desired to leave, and on their refusing to com-royal family -The Princess Amelia, the Princess ply, they were put on board the vessel in which they came, without any injury being inflicted upon them. For this alleged insult the Queen of Tahiti was compelled, in 1838, to apologize and pay a fine of 20,000 dollars, under threat of hostili ties on the part of France. To save the island from the horrors of war, some of the foreign resi dents advanced the sum demanded. In 1839 a French frigate, having received some damage on a coral reef, put into the principal harbor of Tahiti to repair; the natives rendered every assistance in performing this work, and as an expression of his gratitude, the French commodore compelled the authorities to abrogate the law prohibiting the residence of Roman Catholic priests on the island, under the threat of landing 500 men, and establishing a new government. In consequence of the police of the island having put the captain of a French whaler into confinement for drunkenness and rioting, a third visit was paid by the French, who inflicted another act of humiliation upon the Queen in compelling her to disband her police force. The next and last aggression was that to which the public attention is now so strongly directed, and the circumstances connected with which have been fully detailed in our paper. The meeting was addressed by several ministers, and resolutions were passed, containing a solemn pro Charlotte, Queen Charlotte, Duke of Kent, George FORGERY OF TASSO'S WORKS.-A recent trial at Rome has convicted the Count Mariano Alberti of wholesale forgery of works which he had professed portion of these works, which is considered to be to discover and publish as Tasso's. Some small genuine, he had interlarded with the rest, to leaven the mass and give it the greater air of authenticity. In his lodging were found an immense collection of writing-tools, inks of different kinds and tints, old copybooks, blank paper torn out of old books, and innumerable exercises in imitation of the handwriting of more than fifty eminent individuals of Tasso's time. The Count's reply was not known on the 10th March.-Spectator. It is HEAT AND LIGHT.-The Emancipation of Brussels announces that the directors of the Belgian railroads have made a discovery, and proved it by trial on the southern line, whereby the consump tion of fuel may be reduced by 50 per cent. said to consist in the improvements of the drawers of the engine and in the steam-pipe. The Presse mentions that a trial of a mode of lighting by means of a new voltaic pile is about to be made, on the Boulevards. It is said that the light is ten times more brilliant than that of gas.—Ibid. REVOLUTION AT HAYTI.-This noble island, which There is, fortunately, at this moment a respectahas been the scene of so many extraordinary chan-ble British force on this station, and, as both parges of Government, has been lately disturbed by ties have appealed to us for protection, first those, another political revolution, which, unlike those with M. Espinasse at their head, who had been that have preceded it, has been accomplished with-driven into exile by the arbitrary proceedings of out bloodshed. A letter published in the Times the president, and now Boyer himself, with his imgives the following narrative of proceedings. It mediate adherents, reduced to a similar condition, will be seen that both parties have appealed to the it is to be hoped that the peaceful portion of the British force off the island-a testimony of the community will not be reduced to the necessity of respect in which our name is held, and of the con- choosing between anarchy and slavery.—The Brifidence reposed in our disinterestedness and sense tannia. of justice : Kingston, Jamaica, March 20. accom When the horse had accom. plished this feat, he, with his head and tail erect, scampered about the ass in a noble and most dig. nified manner, as if proud of having gained a mighty conquest, and manifested evident tokens of pleasure, as if sensibly feeling that he had effected an act of benevolence. All who beheld this won BRUTE INTELLIGENCE-A rather remarkable The revolution which has for some time been occurrence transpired a short distance from Dewsimpending in the neighboring island of St. Domin-bury a few days ago. While two young men were taking a walk down the side of the river Calder, go has at length come to a crisis, and as yet, I am their master's warehouse dog, which was happy to say, a bloodless one. The ex-President, Ican Pierre Boyer, with thirty-two of his adherents, panying them, strayed into an adjoining field, and having sought shelter in one of her Majesty's ships, seeing an ass, suddenly fell upon it, worrying it in a most ferocious manner. A number of men arrived here yesterday morning on board the Scylla. He had been driven to this step by the resist being at a short distance, and seeing the dog likely ance which was offered to the means he had adopt-in a short time to worry the poor ass to death, went ed to get rid of the opposition to the measures of and commenced a fierce attack upon the dog with his government in the national legislature. At the hedge stakes, but without succeeding in getting head of this opposition was the Senator Dumeille, of Earlsheaton, witnessed these proceedings, evihim off the ass. A horse, belonging to Mr. G. Fell, the representative of the province of Aux Cayes, who on five different occasions had been forcibly dently under most agitated feelings, and as if conexpelled from the Senate Chamber at the point of scious the poor ass must perish unless he interfered, made a rush through the hedge, cleared off the bayonet, and on each occasion had been tri umphantly re-elected by his original constituents. the men who were trying to liberate the ass, and Under the apprehension of proceedings of a still in a most ferocious manner seized the dog with more despotic and unconstitutional character, it his teeth and dragged him off, and aimed several appears that M, Dumeille had addressed himself blows with his fore and hind feet, and had not the to the regiment of artillery stationed at Aux Cayes. dog made off, the horse would have dispatched him by the whole of whom he was readily joined; and in a few minutes. the feelings of the people were so strongly engaged in his favor by what had previously taken place, that in the course of a very few days he found himself at the head of a force of 6,000 men, with which he was preparing to march on the capital. In the meantime, with the view of demonstrating to his fellow-citizens that he was not actuated by derful deed of Mr. Fell's horse were powerfully motives of personal ambition, he proposed to Mstruck with his evident intelligence and sympathy Beaugillard, the Governor of Aux Cayes, who has for his fellow brute.-Wakefield Journal. been very generally regarded for the last ten or DORSAZ, THE GUIDE OF BONAPARTE.-Dorsaz, the twelve years as the probable successor of Boyer in man who acquired considerable celebrity as the the Presidency, to declare the office vacant, and guide who saved the life of Napoleon, on the pasto proclaim M. Beaugillard provisionally President sage of St. Bernard, died a few days ago in the vil until an opportunity could be taken to assemble lage of St. Pierre, in the Vallais, where he had the Senate and complete his election by the forms been residing several years, and was known under which the Haytian constitution prescribes. It ap.the name of the guide of Bonaparte. Dorsaz, on pears that at the period in question, now some three the occasion which conferred this name upon him, weeks ago, M. Beaugillard declined to avail him was close to the mule on which Napoleon was rid self of this offer of M. Dumeille, but I believe it ing, when it made a false step, and would have was perfectly understood that he did not look with plunged its rider over a precipice, if the guide had disfavor on the armed resistance which was offered not, at the hazard of his life, prevented the accident. to the violent proceedings of the President, al- In a little time afterwards, Dorsaz, ignorant of the though he did not think that the time was yet rank of the person whose life he had saved, and come for his placing himself at the head of this fearing that he would be compelled to accompany revolutionary movement. In all probability, how the army as a guide farther than he wished to go, ever, the embarkation of Boyer with his leading disappeared suddenly with his mule, which Napoadherents will have proved the signal for his defi-leon was no longer riding, and it was not until six nitively declaring himself. months after the battle of Marengo that he could be At the same time there is some reason to appre-heard of. At this time the authorittes were ordered hend, as those portions of the population who speak the Spanish language have had but little intercourse with their fellow-citizens at the other end of the island, whose manners and habits are framed on the French model, that some attempt may now be made to re-establish the political separation which formerly existed between them. As yet there is no palpable indication of any such design, but, from what I know of the country personally, and of the views of many of its inhabitants, I incline to think that the tranquil and permanent establishment of its affairs will be exposed to more danger from this cause than perhaps from any other. to seek him out, and to present to him a sufficient sum of money to build a house for him to reside in, if he was not already in possession of one; or, in the latter case, to refund to him the amount which it had cost him. As Dorsaz had a house, this latter course was adopted. The guides of this part of the country, for many years after the event, raised ample contributions from travellers, by pretending to each that the mule upon which he rode was the identical mule crossed by Napoleon at the passage of the St. Bernard. The truth, however, is, that this mule was purchased by Napoleon, when he had discovered the residence of his preserver. SCIENCE AND ARTS. action in living plants; and that it is the cause of the continual transmission of fluids from the intervascular and intercellular spaces into the interior of the vessels and cells, and also of the ascent of the sap.-Athenæum. ASCENT OF THE SAP.-Experimental Inquiry into the cause of the Ascent and Continued Motion of the Sap; with a new method of preparing plants for physiological investigation, by George Rainey, Esq.-The ascent of the sap in vegetables has been THE NERVES.-"On the Nerves," by James generally ascribed to a vital contraction either of Stark, M. D.-The author gives the results of his the vessels or of the cells of the plant; the circum-examinations, both microscopical and chemica!, stances of that ascent taking place chiefly at cer- of the structure and composition of the nerves; tain seasons of the year, and of the quantity of and concludes that they consist, in their whole fluid, and the velocity of its motion being propor- extent, of a congeries of membranous tubes, cytional to the development of those parts whose lindrical in their form, placed parallel to one anfunctions are obviously vital, as the leaves and other, and united into fasciculi of various sizes; flowers, have been regarded as conclusive against but that neither these fasciculi nor the individual the truth of all theories which professed to explain tubes fare enveloped by any filamentous tissue; the phenomenon on purely mechanical principles. that these tubular membranes are composed of The aim of the author, in the present paper, is to extremely minute filaments, placed in a strictly show that these objections are not valid, and to longitudinal direction, in exact parallelism with prove, by a series of experiments, that the motion each other, and consisting of granules of the same of the sap is totally independent of any vital con- kind as those which form the basis of all the solid tractions of the passages which transmit it; that it structures of the body; and that the matter which is wholly a mechanical process, resulting entirely fills the tubes is of an oily nature, differing in no from the operation of endosmose; and that it takes essential respect from butter, or soft fat; and replace even through those parts of a plant which maining of a fluid consistence during the life of have been totally deprived of their vitality. The the animal, or while it retains its natural temperalower extremity of a branch of Valeriana rubra ture, but becoming granular or solid when the ani. was placed, soon after being gathered, in a solu- mal dies, or its temperature is much reduced. As tion of bichloride of mercury. In a few hours a oily substances are well known to be non-conductconsiderable quantity of this solution was absorbed, ors of electricity, and as the nerves have been and the whole plant, which had previously some- shown by the experiments of Bischoff to be among what shrunk from the evaporation of its moisture, the worst possible conductors of this agent, the recovered its healthy appearance. On the next author contends that the nervous agency can be day, although the lower part of the branch had lost neither electricity nor galvanism, nor any property its vitality, the leaves and all the parts of the plant related to those powers; and conceives that the into which no bichloride had entered, but only the phenomena are best explained on the hypothesis of water of the solution, were perfectly healthy and undulations or vibrations propagated along the filled with sap. On each of the following days course of the tubes which compose the nerves, additional portions of the stem became affected in by the medium of the oily globules they contain. succession; but the unaffected parts still preserved He traces the operation of the various causes which their healthy appearance, and the flowers and produce sensation, in giving rise to these undulaleaves developed themselves as if the plant had tions; and extends the same explanation to the vegetated in pure water, and the whole stem had phenomena of voluntary motion, as consisting in been in its natural healthy state. On a minute undulations, commencing in the brain, as deterexamination, it was found that calomel, in the minded by the will, and propagated to the muscles. form of a white substance, had been deposited on He corroborates his views by ascribing the effects the internal surface of the cuticle; but no bich o- of cold in diminishing or destroying both sensibility ride of mercury could be detected in those parts and the power of voluntary motion, particularly as which had retained their vitality; thus showing exemplified in the hybernation of animals, to its that the solution of bichloride had been decomposed mechanical operation of diminishing the fluidity, into chlorine, calomel, and water, and had destroy- or producing solidity, in the oily medium by which ed the vitality of the parts where this action had these powers are exercised.-Ibid. taken place after which, fresh portions of the solution had passed through the substance of the poisoned parts, as if they had been inorganic canals. Various experiments of a similar kind were made on other plants, and the same conclusions were deduced from them. As the addition of a solution of iodide of potassium converts the bichloride of mercury into an insoluble biniodide, the author was enabled by the application of this test to thin sections of the stems of plants into which the bichloride had been received by absorption, to ascertain, with the aid of the microscope, the particular portion of the structure into which the latter had penetrated. The result of his observation was, that the biniodide is found only in the intercellular and intervascular spaces, none appearing to be contained within the cavities of either cells or vessels. As the fluids contained in the vessels and in the cells hold in solution various vegetable compounds, their density is greater than the ascending sap, which is external to them, and from which they are separated by an intervening organized membrane. Such being the conditions requisite for the operation of the principle of endosmose, the author infers that such a principle is constantly in LITHOTINT.-Mr. Rotch, V P., delivered a lecture on Mr. Hullmandel's Lithotint process, which was illustrated by a variety of specimens.-The art of lithography was invented in 1796, by Alois Senefelder. While one of his dramatic works was going through the press, he spent much time in the printing office, and made himself fully acquainted with the art of printing. Numerous plans occurred to him for producing a substitute for the ordinary printing process, in none of which, however, he succeeded till his attention was accidentally directed to a fine piece of Kelheim stone wihch he had purchased for the purpose of grinding his colors. It occurred to him, that, by covering the stone with ink composed of wax, soap, and lampblack, he might use it for his exercises in writing backwards. One day, as he had just succeeded in polishing a stone which he intended to cover with etching-ground, his mother entered the room, and asked him to write for her a bill for the washerwoman, who was waiting for the linen. Having no paper at hand, he wrote the required bill on the stone with his composition ink, which he intended to copy at his leisure; suddenly he thought of bit |